BUSINESS AND TECH NEWS

Nova Leah to create 50 new jobs in Dundalk

Medical device security firm Nova Leah has announced its plans to add 78 new people to its workforce over the next four years.

Some 50 of those roles will be based in Dundalk and be in the area of engineering and support.

The remainder will be sales and marketing roles in the company's newly-opened office in Boston.

Nova Leah is a Dundalk Institute of Technology success story, with its SelectEvidence product being the result of a five-year R&D programme at Louth institution's Irish Software Centre.

The cloud-based system helps to guide the makers of medical devices as they implement cybersecurity requirements and best practices in compliance with FDA recommendation on security threats in the US.

Nova Leah is initially targeting US manufacturers of imaging and electro medical devices, a sector estimated to be worth $155bn (with connected devices accounting for around $51bn).

Nova Leah founder Anita Finnegan said of her company's work:

"The recent WannaCry ransomware attack on the UK's NHS highlights the importance of cybersecurity in the health sector.

"Today's medical devices incorporate high levels of software and are connected across networks, online or wirelessly.

Anita Finnegan, Leah Nova CEO. leahnova.com

“As a result, medical device manufacturers are facing two major challenges: ensuring compliance with stricter regulatory measures and minimising the probability of malicious breaches aimed at medical devices and healthcare IT networks."

"We believe that cybersecurity for medical devices will be a significant new market.

"A first of its kind, we are not aware of any other company worldwide that can provide medical device manufacturers with an automated solution to implement and maintain cybersecurity requirements across medical device product portfolios."